Planned Parenthood staff taking furlough to save money

INDIANAPOLIS - As Planned Parenthood of Indiana waits for a court ruling on a new Indiana anti-abortion law, its 28 clinics will stop seeing Medicaid patients.

Betty Cockrum, the organization's president, said Monday was a day for tough decisions as what could amount to $1.4 million per year in government dollars continues to trickle away from Planned Parenthood of Indiana.

Most of its clinics, including the one in Evansville, will close up shop Wednesday as workers take an unpaid day off. It's an alternative Cockrum announced to the original plan, which involved closing down seven clinics for good.

"The one-day furlough should allow us to save enough money to keep our doors open during this brief window between now and the expected ruling by July 1," Cockrum said.

"We know this is a personal hardship for our employees and our patients, and we had so hoped to avoid it. It is, however, in the best interest of our mission and will allow us to avoid center closures and additional temporary reductions in staff until we get a ruling."

Planned Parenthood of Indiana treats 9,300 patients on Medicaid, the low-income health insurance program funded with a mix of state and federal dollars, each year. About 400 of those visit the Evansville clinic.

A measure state lawmakers approved in April and Gov. Mitch Daniels signed into law in May would block Medicaid funds and other government dollars from going to Planned Parenthood because the organization offers abortions at some of its clinics.

Even though abortions are not covered under Medicaid, the legislators who supported the measure said they do not want to risk taxpayer dollars being entangled with the service.

"The state's request is putting an undue burden on women by causing further delays. Our 9,300 Medicaid patients, including those who had appointments Tuesday, are going to see their care disrupted," Cockrum said.

Planned Parenthood, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana, and the state of Indiana, represented by Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller's office, are squaring off in U.S. District Court.

Judge Tonya Walton Pratt has said she expects to rule by the end of this month on whether the state's move to block organizations that provide abortions from receiving Medicaid dollars is in violation of federal law, which supersedes state statutes.